Hiking in Killingly

There are many opportunities to enjoy the scenery of the Town of Killingly by foot.

Old Furnace State Park has a clearly marked three-mile long Blue Blazed trail. You can find other unmarked trails in the park. The terrain is steep and rocky in places.

Cat Hollow Town Park has an easy half-mile trail along a paved road that parallels Whetstone Brook. The trail is paved and is suitable for bicycles, wheelchairs, or strollers.

The Town of Killingly's Quinebaug River Trail is planned to extend south to Plainfield and north to Putnam. Eventually the River Trail will become part of the East Coast Greenway stretching from Florida to Maine. Two sections of the trail are complete in Killingly:

The southern section of the trail follows the Quinebaug River just south of Route 6 in Danielson. The trail starts where Main Street (Route 12) intersects Route 6. The trail is paved and is suitable for bicycles, wheelchairs, or strollers.

The northern section is also a paved trail that is suitable for bicycles, wheelchairs, or strollers. The trail starts at the Holiday Inn just west of the Attawaugan/Ballouville exit of 395 (exit 94) and goes north along Tracy Road toward Putnam. The trail ends on Tracy Road, but if you continue north into Putnam you can connect with the Putnam River Trail along the Quinebaug River.

The North-South Trail runs 75 miles the length of Rhode Island from Massachusetts to the Atlantic Ocean. The trail makes a brief foray into the eastern edge of Killingly on Riley Chase Road at the state line on 101. The trail curves around the north end of Killingly Pond and then heads back east into Rhode Island. The trail can also be accessed from behind the Shady Acres Restauarant on Route 6, a few miles into Rhode Island.

The Air Line Rail Trail North runs from Putnam to Windham--a distance of 27 miles. This trail is not maintained along its entire length and can be tough going. The best maintained section runs from the Goodwin State Forest Conservation Center off Route 6 in Hampton to Route 44 in Pomfret.

Other State Parks and Forests in the region with hiking trail include Mashamoquet Brook State Park in Pomfret, Natchaug State Forest in Chaplin and Eastford, James Goodwin State Forest in Hampton, Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown, and Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union. See the Connecticut DEP web site for more information.

The eastern edge of Killingly borders Rhode Island. The nation's smallest state has several parks and forests close to Killingly, including Killingly Pond Wildlife Management Area, Durfee Hill Wildlife Management Area, George Washington Management Area, and Pulaski Memorial State Park. This Rhode Island DEM publication describes the changing face of their forests and much of the discussion is applicable to the woods and forests of Killingly: The forests of Rhode Island.